Prairie Works

The state of Wisconsin has long been a leader in the protection of natural areas. Their forward-thinking approach towards nature began 100 years ago and is still strong today. It makes great sense since their 12.8 billion dollar tourism industry relies on it and hunting and fishing is steeped in tradition there. Last week the Wisconsin State Journal had a cover story about a major push to stop new waves of invasive plants in the future. A new bill to reach the Capitol floor will give the state the power to fine individuals for selling, transporting or spreading a long list of invasive species ranging from Parrots to Maple trees. This is a major step in the right direction.

In recent decades invasive plants have increased by 1,300% and are costing taxpayers billions of dollars annually. To blame are short-minded individuals and corporations who have introduced plants, insects or fish for financial gain or for personal interest. There has always been a grey area on how to handle the issue and the exact introducer has been difficult to pin point (except when our federal government takes the blame). The new proposed rules establish a consistent classification and regulatory system for all listed invasive species. The rules will set specific restrictions on actions such as selling, transporting and planting or releasing certain species to the wild. It will allow the WDNR to work with local units of government and landowners to quickly contain new infestations of species likely to become problematic.

The list of species is broken into 5 categories: Terrestrial plants, aquatic plants, vertebrates, micro-organisms and aquatic invertebrates. In total, 187 species are on the potential list. Most already occur in Wisconsin but some are being included to be proactive, as with Emerald Ash Borer. Most interesting was seeing Dames Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) included on the list. The famed beauty from the Meadow in a Can seed mixes sold at garden centers everywhere shows itself along the countryside of Northwest Illinois each May. Can I start issuing tickets?

It will be interesting to watch this bill transpire into law and, even more, how aggressively it will be enforced. I know the nursery trade may be scrambling to adjust profit margins as Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), Blackberry Lily (Belamcanda chinensis) and other perennial favorites are on the list. Stay tuned for more on this aggressive bill.

http://dnr.wi.gov/invasives/classification/ The Skinny from WDNR

http://www.madison.com/wsj/topstories/280782 The Wisconsin Sate Journal Article